DAILY TEXT, Saturday May 25, 2024, Where there is no wood, the fire goes out (Prov. 26:20).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2024.

Saturday May 25, 2024

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out (Prov. 26:20).

Sometimes we may find it necessary to talk to a brother who has offended us. But, before taking that step, we must do a self-examination. “Do I have all the facts?” (Prov. 18:13). “Could it be that he did it accidentally?” (Eccl. 7:20). “Did I do something similar in the past?” (Eccl. 7:21, 22). “If I talk to the brother, will I create a bigger problem than the one I'm trying to solve?” If we spend time thinking about these questions, we may come to the conclusion that it is better to show love and forget about it. How can we individually demonstrate that we are the true disciples of Christ? Showing sincere love to our brothers despite their imperfections. And, thanks to that, other people may realize what the true religion is and want to worship Jehovah with us. So let us be determined to continue demonstrating the kind of love that identifies true Christians. w23.03 31 paras. 18, 19.

What was the environment like in which the apostles of Jesus were raised?

Jesus undoubtedly took into account the environment in which the apostles were raised (John 2:24, 25). At that time, religious leaders placed great importance on social status and positions of authority (Matt. 23:6; compare the video Front Seats in the Synagogue, from the Matthew 23:6 study note). In fact, the Jewish religious leaders believed themselves to be superior to others (Luke 18:9-12).f Jesus knew that this environment could influence how the apostles viewed themselves and others (Prov. 19:11). He did not expect perfection from them nor did he get upset when they made mistakes. Because he knew they had good hearts, he patiently helped them replace pride and ambition with humility and love.

What do we learn from what happened to Santiago and Juan?

We can learn a lot from what happened with James and John. It was not right for them to ask for important positions in the Kingdom. But it was also not right for the other apostles to let that affect their unity. Instead, Jesus treated the 12 apostles with love and affection. What do we learn? It's not just about the mistakes others make, but how we react when they make them. Therefore, when we feel offended by something a brother did, let us ask ourselves: “Why did what he did bother me so much? Do I have to improve something? Is the brother going through a difficult time? Wouldn't it be better to show love and let it go even if it seems to me that I have reasons to feel that way? If we always treat others with love, we will prove that we are true Christians.

What more can we learn from Jesus' example?

Jesus' example also shows us that we must strive to understand our brothers (Prov. 20:5). Of course, Jesus could read hearts, we can't. But what we can do is be patient with our brothers when they make mistakes (Eph. 4:1, 2; 1 Pet. 3:8). Something that will help us is to know them better. Let's look at an example.

What happened when a circuit overseer strove to get to know a brother better?

A circuit overseer serving in East Africa met a brother who seemed to have a difficult personality. Did the superintendent stick with that first impression? He says: “Instead of avoiding him, I decided to get to know him better.” Thus he learned that the things his brother had experienced influenced his character. He says: “Once I understood how intense his struggle to overcome the past had been and how much progress he had made, I couldn't help but admire him. We became good friends". If we strive to know and understand our brothers better, it will be easier to treat them with love.

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